1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rowing apparatus having an oar and oarlock and particularly to a rowing apparatus having improved efficiency.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional rowing systems use oars with handles and blades that are solidly fixed to and inline with the oar shaft. An oarlock is positioned about a third of the way down the shaft between the handle and blade. The oarlock acts as a fulcrum about which the oar pivots. As the handle is pulled by the rower, the blade on the opposite end of the oar is pulled through the water in an arc, thereby propelling the boat.
As the rower moves the oar through the power stroke, the oar handle and blade are perpendicular to the rower and the boat for a brief instant. Because the most efficient transfer of energy is when the oar pushes against the water perpendicularly with respect to the boat, to improve efficiency and reduce physical stress on the rower it would be advantageous if the angle of the handle and blade always remained perpendicular, regardless of where the oar was in the stroke.
Moreover, when resetting the blade at the end of the stroke, the oar is removed from the water and moved backwards to begin the next stroke. During this backward motion, the oar blade is usually “feathered” (turned 90 degrees so that it is parallel to the surface of the water) to reduce wind resistance and to minimize friction should the blade come in contact with the water on the return stroke.
Previous inventions that have described the use of universal joints and/or gears to provide feathering systems: Johnson U.S. Pat. No. 1,034,462, Jaeger U.S. Pat. No. 1,909,359, Noogle U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,643, and DuPont U.S. Pat. No. 5,248,272.
While these patents describe feathering systems, they do nothing to solve the problem of maximizing efficiency in the oar stroke itself.